I found the bargain I had been waiting for to make my workbench from. A local DIY shop (3ways in Denton) often has bargains. Today I picked up 2 18mm tall kitchen unit sides for £3.99 each. When put together I get a 36mm worktop
So in typical builder mode I got my days work done and had an early finish. With a bit of timber to make a batten along the back wall and the side the new "worktop" when sawn to length just fell into place.
As 90% of the time I stand to model its a a nice
More details tonight, I have not rubbed them down and primed them yet so please forgive the rough edges..
Pointing man seems to be putting on some pressure for me to do the cab interior !
John
As the title says "what to do next"
Some modellers spend a lifetime dedicated to one thing, others of us flit from one thing to another and I'm the latter. As the nights start to draw in and the garden becomes less hospitable my thoughts are turning to change.
This is my shed as it is now.
On the main level a folded dogbone of modern image scenic N gauge that crosses over what, for N, is a massive curved viaduct. The work surface in front of the viaduct is removable and the th
Just as an aside to the modelling updates I have made a start on updating my website for the new year ! It is still a work in progress but I aim to get it complete by the end of 2009 !!
It can be found here (www.rjrmodels.webs.com)
John
Just to let you all know I have been doing some work on my website http://www.rjrmodels.webs.com feel free to pop in By joining the site I can keep you up to date on future changes.
The site is a member of the webs group "Model Rail" that now has 32 other member sites with the aim of generating interest in the hobby and raising the profile of model railway websites. If you have a webs (formerly Freewebs) site feel free to join the group. There is a link to it at the bottom of my webpage.
Glazing fitted, I assume the windows down the back end are onto a corridor down the engine compartment ? I have painted them black on the inside so you cant see through to the motor anyway, It makes it look more solid not being able to see through it.
I have tried to restrain the weathering, no rust just some general and exhaust type grime.
John
Cant say its thrilling work but the track needs power so it needs doing, I don't mind soldering and when all said and done I served my time at GEC as an Electrical/ electronic engineer so it should be fun, but its one of those has to be done jobs !!
The layout will be DCC so its pretty much a case of making sure I have power to every spur, now I know my method is not the "done thing" but it works for me, I find no pleasure in sitting under the workbench soldering droppers and bus wires. My o
Last night was my last chance to go down to the shed for the coming week, I have a busy schedule coming up which includes assisting to run a 3 day church camp for thirty 12-18 year old girls that Mrs RJR is in charge of. I get to do all the lifting, carrying and back room jobs. Not to mention the preperation work before we go. So this will be my last post for a few days. At least there is WiFi where we are going so I can come on here and browse for some sanity/
Anyway...
A bit more struc
Always keen to improve, a couple of keen observers spotted that the way I had secured the old truck onto the flatbed was not very good, and gave suggestion of how it would be done in reality. So a small amount of rework later ........
The tie downs that were threaded through the spokes of the wheels are now placed at 45 degrees to the front and rear and secured to the truck chassis.
John
Its taken a couple of days but I have finally edited together some footage of 3 loco's, including class 20 and 25 travelling around the newly bedded track in the garden.
Try as I may, I cant work out how to embed a YouTube clip here, so I am afraid you need to click the link to view it on YouTube
Well some time ago in a now dismantled layout I dabbled with using a photo to extend 3D into the back scene with reasonable success....
With this in mind I have been trying with various pictures to create an interior for the warehouse... I think this is about the best and when the fork truck I have recently purchased on Ebay is sat in front of it, It may be nearly right
John
When you have a train barge ...
you really need a Push tug.. So out with the plasti-card my Dad had emailed me a site with lots of different types HERE
John
I have been expecting 3 deliveries
The kids trampoline that triggered the replanning of the outdoor line.
Whiteboard restorer for work
The extra track to finish the outdoor rework
Today 2 out of the 3 arrived, the one I wanted most, the track didnt !!
So with only the trampoline to play with I spent the evening putting it up and happily it fitted as planned
The front leg need to be sat in a trench to level it up, but my big concern, will the legs clear the track was n
Having got the layout dusted off (see last post) thought I would give a loco a run in the garden... I don't think our Cockapoo puppy is knows what to make of it !
If only I could remember how to embed a YouTube clip !!
It could have been me or one of my helpers but during the installation of the 10' trampoline a foot must ahve been a but heavy on the track. Trains still ran but I wanted the camber a little better. Plus pointing man was not impressed !
First step was to dig out under the track, step 2 alter camber in this case a stone was wedged in. Step 3 back fill with some fresh "postcrete"
Easy when you have a mini digger to hand !
If you have been following along you may have been looking at that awful palymobil plastic track and thought "RJR has lost his mind"
Well hopefully stage 1 of the track upgrade should be of interest.
I have been experimenting, I started off painting the whole lot with a chocolate brown rattle can. Then attempt 1 I picked out all the rail including their sides with silver (brushed) That looked too silver, took too long and I realised I would end up rusting or darkening the rail
My layout seems to be a game of two halves, to borrow a metaphor from other peoples hobby. Work has mainly concentrated on the industrial town side or the right hand side of the shed. Last night I set to with some more vinyl tiles and some ballast.
How the evening started
Having read Octobers Railroad Modeller there is and interesting article at the back about freight yards that have roadways between every other track, so I thought that would make a nice contrast to the team track o
Last night I laid the track for the inner circuit on the upper level. It is set back from the front edge by 1/2" You may also notice that the timber for the shelf has been given a coat or 2 of Ronseal Oak rubbing wax.
On the opposite side a small piece of track is placed where the outer loop will sit, this leaves just about 1.5" for some very basic scenery.
I'm quite pleased with how it has turned out and tonight managed to get it wired for action
Since my last post and the return to some modelling, I have been mulling over a couple of things.
1) How often to post blog entries.
2) How could I get a continuous run into the layout.
Number 1. Having not posted really for the best part of a month, coming back to it now, I have come to the conclusion that showing almost daily developments is hard to keep up for me and shows little progress in return for the readers effort to look. So I have decided this year to post perhaps weekly
Some where under here is a railway !!!
This next picture was after explorations yesterday, late evening prior to todays snow
We had a further 4" of snow today so outdoor running was totally out of the question !!!
I exposed some with a spade and as can be seen its getting on for 8 " walls either side of the track ...
So the only thing for it was to clear a path to the shed for some smaller scale modelling INDOORS
John
Im sure I will get a couple of hours modelling time tomorrow. Now if I had this opportunity a week ago, the choice would be simple, some work on the Orange Growers Module, after all its at an exhibition on January the 24th !!
But then I went and started working on the three 45mm coaches and now Im getting hooked on them.
Add in potential photo opportunites in the snowy garden and there is just too many fun things to do and not enough time !!! The temperature is no longer a factor either, I s
Had an unexpected hour in the shed this afternoon, in the main I did some sanding, filling and tidying of what has already been done. Added the lights on the bottom of the cab front. I then decided a quick coat of primer would help make the bits that need filling stand out, it did !!! I did manage to get these 4 pictures without showing two many marks that need further sanding and filling...
John
